Direction indicator



G. F. WEB B' DIRECTION INDICATOR March 19, 1935.

Filed March 7, 1934 attorney I consists of a vertically disposed reciprocatingly rotatable shaft extending through the top or Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECTION INDICATOR George F. Webb, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Application Marsha 1934, Serial No. 714,359

4 Claims. (01.116-47) This invention relates to improvements in direction indicators for motor vehicles, and particularly my invention disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,952,189 dated 27th March, 1934. It

roof of the vehicle and carrying a signal vane at its'upper end so it can be viewed from all direc tions above the roof, and novel means for rotating the shaft to the left or right and selectively setting it at various signalling positions.

One important object of the invention is to provide a direction indicator for vehicles with the signal thereof well above the vehicle roof in order to permit it to be recognized at all angles.

Another important object is to provide means underneath the vehicle roof to manipulate such a signal.

A third important object is to provide means for selectively fixing or setting the signal in three positions fromwithin the vehicle.

A fourth important object is to improve and simplify the construction of the direction indicator disclosed in my previous application referred to.

A fifth important object is to provide a device of the class specified which will be effective, durable, simple, and inexpensive to produce.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a direction indicator constructed in accordance with this invention showing the signal vane set to indicate movement in one direction;

Figure 2 is a similarview but showing the vane as partially progressed from one position to another;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the signal actuating mechanism;

Figure 4 is a bottom face view of the selector plate; and,

Figure 5 is a top cross-sectional view of the vane shaft with the selector detent.

In the present'embodiment of the invention the vertical vane shaft 10 supports the signal vane 11 shown in thisinstance in the representation of an arrow signifying direction. While the vehicle is bound on an obvious course the arrow is disposed longitudinally of the vehicle, that is, pointing forwardly as indicating that no deviation of the vehicle is contemplated, but when the arrow is directed laterally of the vehicle, to the left or to the right, it indicates that a turn is to '5 be made in the general direction in which the arrow is aimed.

The vehicle roof is indicated in general by R. 011 the roof is mounted a vertical sleeve 12 flanged or collared at 13. Secured to the ceiling is the selector plate 1 and beneath this plate is a housing 15. All of these parts are coaxial and cored to slidingly and rotatingly receive the shaft 10, which also extends through a conforming opening in the roof. 15

On the lower end of the shaft 10 outside of the housing 15 is a manipulation knob 16, and on the portion of the shaft residing inside the housing is an integral collar 1'7. Interposed between this collar and the internal face of the housing is a helical expansion spring 18 urging the shaft upwardly. It follows then that the shaft has two lengthwise positions, an upper or normal position or elevation anda lower or turning position, and a when it is at this upper position, as shown in Fig-' 25 ures 1 and 3, the shoulders 19 of the knob abut the external face of the housing.

Above the collar 17 is an upturned selector detent 20 extending from the shaft, the bill 21 of which is adapted'to selectively engage conforming sockets 22 in the selector plate 14. These sockets are three in number to correspond to the three selective positions of the signal, left, right and ahead. They are of course annularly aligned.

The bill 21, which is parallel with the shaft, may be withdrawn from any one of these sockets and selectively engaged in another of them by manipulation of the knob 16, first by drawing the knob downwardly against the tension of the spring 18, (Figure 2), next rotating ita quarter full turn in the desired direction and finally releasing it so that the detent will engage the desired socket under urge of said spring which will there retain it against the influence of gravity.

The middle of the three sockets is of course the neutral, and when the detent is engaged in that socket the signal vane will point ahead, but when the detent falls in either of the end sockets it is evident that the vane will point right or left as the case may be.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention tatably journalled in mountings associated with.

the roof of a vehicle; and extending through said roof, a fixed selector plate having selector sockets equal in number to the signalling positions of said shaft, a signal manipulation device on the lower end of said shaft adapted to both turn and slide the shaft, and a selector detent rigidly associated with said shaft adapted to selectively engage in said sockets.

2. In a direction indicator, a vertical signal carrying shaft slidably and reciprocatingly rotatably journalled in mountings associated'with'the'. roof 'of a vehicle, andextending through said roof, a fixed selector plate having selector sockets equal in number to the signalling positions of said shaft, a signal manipulation device on the lower end of said shaftadapted to both turn and slide the shaft, a selector detent rigidly associated with said shaft adapted to selectively engage in said sockets, and means for urging and retaining said engagement on registry of said selector detent with one of said sockets. I

3. In a direction indicator, a vertical signal. carrying shaft slidably and reciprocatingly rotatably journalled in mountings associated with the roof of a vehicle, and extending through said roof, a fixed selector plate having selector sockets equal in number tothe signalling positions of I i said shaft, a signal manipulation device'on'the lowerend of said shaft adaptedto both turn and 1 slide the shaft, 'a housing extending downwargny from said plate, a selector detent rigidly associated with said shaft adaptedto selectively engage in said sockets, a collar on the shaft-inside the housing, and a helical expansion spring'in- 15 terposed with the collar and the internal face of i the housing; a

4. In a direction indicator, a vertical signal carryingshaft slidably and reciprocatingly rotatably journalled in mountings associated with the roof of a vehicle, and extending through said roof, a fixed selector plate having selector sockets equal in number to the signalling positions of "said shaft, and a lug on a portion of said shaft pa,

.neath said plate, said lug having an upturned 25 portion to provide a detent adapted to selectively j age in said sockets.

GEORGE F. wn angf 

